Restless: A Dramione Fanfiction
by snowflakeeyes1627
Summary: Hermione has despised Draco for the entirety of her time at Hogwarts, and rightfully so. However, after a series of events causes her to rethink her perceptions of Draco, she sees him in a different light and begins to realize that they might not be so different after all.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione was absolutely not having it with Harry and Ron today. Of course, she had tried her hardest to be understanding and patient, but enough was enough. She had actually been timing it and they had been talking for 6 hours straight now about Quidditch. They had just won a magnificent game against Hufflepuff the afternoon before, but ever since breakfast this morning they had rambled on and on about their incredible saves, dodges, and of course the wondrous moment Harry caught the Snitch. As if he hadn't done that in virtually every other game they had played. Proud as she was of the pair, there were more important things to worry about than Quidditch matches of the past, like their upcoming Herbology essay or Defense against the Dark Arts homework.

To top it all off, neither one of them had seemed to notice in the slightest that her mood had been steadily decreasing over the course of the day! They were her two best friends, but she simply lacked the patience to have her ear talked off about a sport she wasn't the biggest fan of.

"Hermione! You were watching, remember when I stopped those two attempted goals from Smith?!" Ron exclaimed enthusiastically, whacking her on the back a little too hard as he gulped down a chicken leg at lunch.

Now was her chance to mess with the two of them, and she smirked to herself as she calmly responded. "No, I'm not sure I recall. Sorry." She shrugged and returned her gaze to her Ancient Runes textbook, which was sitting open on the table in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ron's jaw visibly drop, and she had to stifle a giggle. To her surprise Ginny choked down her pumpkin juice with a laugh, and exchanged a devious look with Hermione.

She knew how big of a Quidditch fan Ginny was, but she was quite pleased the 4th Year was taking her side and realized she might not be the only one fed up with Harry and Ron's arrogant bragging.

Ron, still appalled, turned to Ginny. "You remember, don't you Gin?" He frowned when he saw her blank look. "Oh come on…." He sighed and turned his back on the girls, telling the story again for what Hermione understood to be the 7th time now to Harry, Seamus, and Lavender.

Realizing she was unable to concentrate on her studies anymore, she slammed her book shut and stood up abruptly. "I'll be in the library if anybody needs me." She announced in a loud tone but, as no one other than Ginny and Neville looked up, she rolled her eyes and traipsed off to get some work done.

"If they're thinking I'm going to be nice and give them my essay later…" She muttered under her breath, storming down the hallway and finally plopping down to review her essay, which she had in fact finished a week ago. The library calmed her, however, and soon she had returned to her natural state—reading, writing notes, rewriting notes, and memorizing entire sections of her textbook.

She wasn't sure how long she had been working when someone sat down at the table next to her, and she found herself abruptly distracted by the most alluring scent she had ever encountered. She looked up, unsure of who she would find, but shuddered visibly when her eyes met the cold, grey ones staring back at her.

Draco Malfoy.

She shot him a noteworthy glare before returning to her textbook, but suddenly found she couldn't concentrate. Her head was beginning to ache (probably from that scent filling her nose) and after a few more minutes of trying to work she finally closed her books and decided to try and do something a little more practical that she would focus on. She pulled out her wand and a quill, hoping to squeeze in a little Transfiguration practice. She still had the rest of the afternoon free, as it was a weekend, but she didn't mind spending it doing a little extra work for her classes.

She focused on the quill on the table in front of her, made sure she was holding her wand properly, and was about to recite a spell when suddenly the quill was whisked away from her, as if by an invisible hand. The force, in fact, was coming from Draco's wand, and she watched in utter shock as he daintily directed the quill across the space between their desks and allowed it to settle gently onto his. "Might want to be a little quicker with the spell next time, Granger," he chuckled, and she stood up so rapidly that she knocked out her chair from under her.

She felt her cheeks burning scarlet and she stormed over, snatching the quill from him. "Don't interrupt me ever again, Malfoy." She hissed under her breath, feeling even angrier when his grin only grew larger at her exasperation. "That was probably one of the most pointless and idiotic things you've ever done, and that's saying something. You've got a long list already." Hermione retorted, twiddling her quill between her fingers.

She was rather confused when, instead of responding to her, he bent his head low over his parchment and starting writing. A split second too late she saw the reason why: Madam Pince was ambling towards them, her finger already over her lips indicating they should be quiet.

"And just what do you think you're doing!" She exclaimed in a strained whisper. "The library is a place for quiet study, and you chose to bother this young man who is trying to do exactly that!"

Hermione, who was completely speechless, couldn't help but feel the tears prick her eyes. She had already been having a bothersome day and now she was getting reprimanded for something she hadn't done.

"Ma'am?" Draco spoke up suddenly in a soft voice. "It wasn't her fault, I was actually asking her for help on a problem. I suppose we were talking a little too loudly." He chuckled, smiling a charming smile, and gesturing to his work.

"Well…I suppose…" Pince finally let out a long, resigned sigh. "Keep it down, from now on." She said finally and hurried off, disappearing between the shelves.

Hermione looked Draco over, feeling something close to respect for him. She had never seen him as anything more than scum, after all he was constantly teasing her and her friends, but that was big of him to defend her like that. "Why did you…?" She started, but just looked at him in amazement.

"I'm not so bad sometimes, Granger, once you get to know me." And with that he returned to his studying and therefore ending their interaction, but Hermione was left thinking about it for the rest of the evening.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione awoke that morning due to a loud screech in the bed next to her. She jolted upright, already fumbling around on her bedside table for her wand.

"What's the matter!?" She exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the source of the obnoxious sound—none other than Lavender Brown.

"There was a bug on me! It was huge…you should have seen it, Hermione!" She gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. Hermione stared at her for a long moment, blinked a few times, and without a word shut the curtain that blocked off her bed from the rest of the dormitory. She laid back and tried to recall the dream she had been having…she was certain it had included Madam Pince chasing her throughout the library while screaming about the rules of Quidditch.

With a shudder, Hermione forced herself out of bed to begin the mundane task of getting ready. She didn't put too much thought into her appearance but she at least tried to look tidy, and often she would have to wake up before everyone else to brush through her bushy, tangled hair.

To her delight, when she reached the bathroom and looked in the mirror her hair was behaving surprisingly well. After only a few minutes of wrestling with her brush, putting on her outfit for the day, and brushing her teeth, she was pleased with her reflection, and realized she had some extra time. She could head to the library but she doubted it was open yet, and regardless she wasn't too keen on the idea of visiting it after her odd nightmare.

As a matter of fact, she was baffled. The library was Hermione's safe place and she had never once had a nightmare about it. She racked her brain for what could have caused it…and then it hit her: Draco.

She cursed herself for all of a sudden referring to him by his first name. He would always be Malfoy to her, she would always be Mudblood to him. She glared at herself in her reflection, making a mental note to forget about whatever events had transpired the night before. Draco…no, _Malfoy,_ wasn't worth another second of her thoughts. He was taking up room in her already cluttered mind, and so that was the end of that.

She hurried back to the dormitory and grabbed all her books she would need for the day before trotting down to the Great Hall in hopes that breakfast might be served early. A gaggle of 3rd Year Ravenclaws were chatting quietly in the corner, bragging about how they had been able to stay up all night. Hermione scoffed at them and sat down at the Gryffindor table, waiting for Ginny or anyone else to come down and join her. Hopefully Harry and Ron had finally shut their mouths about the match that had occurred _two days ago._ She snickered to herself about the prank she had played on them last night with Ginny last night, but her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a booming chortle.

"You stole her quill from her? Draco that's no way to get a girl to lik—"

"Shut _up,_ Crabbe! How many times must I tell you? Your voice is louder than the Hogwarts Express if it did a cannonball into the Great Lake. Honestly."

And that was when Hermione saw them enter the Great Hall. She averted her gaze quickly and tried her best to seem as small as possible, but that was practically impossible when she was the lone figure at the Gryffindor table. She saw out of the corner of her eye the three of them stop for a second as they walked in and glanced at her before Draco elbowed both Crabbe and Goyle in the ribs and they marched over to the Slytherin table across the room.

Malfoy led the other two, his head held proudly high, his gleaming blond hair not slicked back today, but instead looked as though he had just ran his hair through it a few times, so it framed his pointed face. Crabbe followed after him with his head hung low, looking like a hurt puppy who had just disappointed his master. Goyle brought up the rear of the pack, his eyes wide and mouth closed tightly, most likely in hopes he wouldn't earn himself an insult like the well-deserved one Draco had shot at Crabbe.

The three sat down and Malfoy looked comically small, surrounded on both sides by his two bulkier companions. Hermione stifled a giggle and quickly rummaged around in her bag, pulling out some work to do while she waited for anyone else. She strained to make out the muttering across the Great Hall from the three Slytherins, but it was no use and so she worked in silence until streams of people began to come in. She was soon joined by Ron and Harry who, to her relief, were much quieter and actually took the time to converse with her today.

"Where did you disappear off to for the rest of the day 'Mione?" Ron mumbled, his mouth full of scrambled eggs.

Hermione winced in disgust but answered the question. "I just went to the library. There's never a time where boredom can't be cured by studying!" She said cheerfully, sipping her goblet of pumpkin juice.

Ron groaned in disgust and returned to his plate, wolfing down his meal until he was elbowed in the side by Harry. "Ouch! What the bloody hell was that for Harry?!" He whined, rubbing his side. Hermione glanced up from her toast at Harry for an explanation as well, but she was only met with a dark expression.

"Malfoy's been watching us this whole time. And I don't like the looks of it one bit." Harry said, glancing at the Slytherin table.

Harry was correct—Hermione looked over to see Draco calmly watching the trio with an undecipherable expression.

 **A/N: thank you all so much for the comments! It made my day to read them. I apologize for this chapter being a bit of a filler, but now that I've decided to make this a full story I'm trying to figure out what direction I want to take it in. Once again, all comments are greatly appreciated, and thank you guys so much for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

After the troubling breakfast Hermione had she went to Herbology which the Gryffindors thankfully had with Ravenclaw. She smirked to herself as Professor Sprout reminded the students of the essay they had due tomorrow, and watched as Harry and Ron gave each other fearful looks.

"Don't worry, I'll help you two out." She said kindly. "But you certainly can't look at mine."

"Thanks," Ron whispered back, a relieved expression on his face.

"Ah Mr. Weasley! Since you're so keen to talk in my class today, why don't you tell me the purpose of this?" Sprout was holding up a bright purple slimy looking root, glaring in the general direction of the Gryffindors.

"Why that's um...you see, it seems to be a root of some sort," he offered up hopefully.

"It's the root of a Shrivelfig plant." Hermione said without waiting to be called on, but speaking in a clear tone regardless. "It's used for healing purposes."

"Five points to Gryffindor," Professor Sprout said, impressed. She launched into a lengthy explanation of how to properly grow and harvest a Shrivelfig, but Hermione found herself zoning out and disappearing into her thoughts. She had experienced two strange encounters with Draco two days in a row, and at this point in time it was consuming the majority of her thoughts. She didn't particularly enjoy his cold, pale face lingering in her mind for extended periods of time but the more she tried to fight it the more it crossed her mind, so she finally resolved to let him stay for a while. After all, there was no harm in just thoughts, right?

As the rest of the class pelted Professor Sprout with questions about the Shrivelfig (a topic Hermione had learned about on her own in her 3rd year) she tried to figure out what exactly it was about Draco that was making him stick in her memory so much. She genuinely appreciated that he had accepted the blame last night in the library, but that couldn't make up for 5 years of bullying. Hermione felt a surge of rage at herself—how dare she let herself feel the slightest bit of anything other than hatred for this disgusting boy who had done nothing but be cruel to her and her companions.

And yet…

There had been times where she had gone outdoors to study and she had seen him flying high above the Quidditch pitch, practicing by himself to catch the Snitch. She admired his ambition.

There had been late nights spend in the library where she had been reading alone, but she would see him reading over his old notes and muttering them aloud to himself. She admired his intellect.

There had been classes where the professors would drone on and on, and Draco would say a barely audible joke that would somehow elude the professor, but the rest of the class would laugh at. She admired his wit.

"Hermione!" A voice quickly ripped her away from her daydream. Neville was standing in front of her, holding a pair of trimmers in one hand and a Shrivelfig in the other. "Would you…would you mind being my partner?" He asked timidly, gesturing around at the rest of the class who was already hard at work. How long had she been in her own thoughts?

"Of course, Neville!" She tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible, knowing how passionate about Herbology Neville was. He sat down next to her with a broad smile and they got to work. Hermione threw herself into the seemingly mundane task of trimming the ends of the Shrivelfig root, but as it was her only distraction right now she did it with gusto. She and Neville exchanged small talk (thankfully avoiding the topic of the recent Quidditch match) and instead talking about various herbal remedies Neville's grandma recommended for colds.

Finally they had finished and called Professor Sprout over to check their work, and she smiled approvingly at the two brightest students in the class. "Excellent work, you two! I'm pleased to see this year of Gryffindors has such bright minds." She smiled warmly and returned to the front of the room as Hermione started to clean up her materials.

She made her way over to Harry and Ron to see their progress, looking down at their table to see a lump of gnarled roots and a crudely cut Shrivelfig. "That looks…lovely." She said, pausing for emphasis.

"The least you could do is help us," Harry retorted, wincing as some juice from the fig shot out at him. Hermione chuckled and took the tools from him, demonstrating the proper technique.

"How do you even know what you're doing!? You were zoned out that whole lesson, thinking about who knows what." Ron said, giving her a curious look. Hermione, who had just successfully managed to rid the thought of Draco from her mind, just shrugged mysteriously.

"I'm going to get a head start to Charms. I'll meet you two there." She gathered up her things and set off towards the castle, waving at Hagrid on her way. He was engaged in a lesson with the 5th year Slytherins and Hufflepuffs, and she resisted the urge to look for a familiar, blond-haired boy. She crossed through the hallways and tried to organize her books in her arms as she walked, when suddenly she heard footsteps echoing behind her. She tried to shake off the strange feeling in her stomach, but as she turned a corner she glanced behind her and sure enough, there he was.

"What do you think you're doing wandering the halls right now, Granger? We haven't let out of the morning classes yet." He said with a smug smile, and she stopped so she could turn to face him.

"I finished early in Herbology and wanted to get a head start. I could ask you the same question, Draco." She retorted coolly, praying her cheeks weren't as red as they felt.

"The same. I finished Care of Magical Creatures early, and I just so happen to be on my way to Charms too." He had been coming down the corridor towards her, and he was so close now she could see the exact color of his eyes. She had never really noticed them before, but they were the color of storm clouds right now, some hidden emotion lingering behind them that she couldn't quite place. Her mind was working quickly now, and she realized that when she had passed Hagrid's hut he had still seemed relatively engaged in the middle of a lesson. Had Draco perhaps left early just to follow her? She quickly dismissed the thought, urging herself to be logical.

Resolving to be cordial with him and nothing more, she turned and gestured for him to follow. "Well, it only makes sense if we walk together then, doesn't it." And with that the Slytherin and Gryffindor continued their walk to Professor Flitwick's classroom.

 **A/N: Thank you guys all so much for reading and commenting! I love you all soon. New chapters will be up every few days, hopefully, depending on how much time I have. You guys are the best! (Special thanks to master-fangirl, your comment just absolutely made my day)**


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione took her usual seat in Charms, depositing her bag two seats away from her to reserve spots for Harry and Ron, who would inevitably show up late. In the meantime, Draco had opted to sit directly behind Hermione, made evident by the sound of his chair scraping against the floor and the thud of his books hitting the desk. She resisted the urge to turn around and question why he wasn't in his usual spot in the back corner, instead removing a large roll of parchment from her bag, on which her Charms homework was neatly printed. The classroom was still empty besides the two 5th years, meaning Draco's bored sighs were even harder for Hermione to ignore.

"Do you ever do anything besides reading over notes?" Draco drawled, tapping his quill against his desk nonchalantly.

"Do you ever do anything besides being a nuisance?" She shot back, glaring over her shoulder before returning to her notes. Irritatingly, it was even more difficult to focus now that she knew he was attempting to engage in conversation with her.

"Just curious Granger, no need to get all heated." He said in a low tone, and to her own dismay it sent a shiver down her spine.

 _Get a grip, Hermione._ She thought to herself, sitting up straighter in her seat and pushing her hair behind her ears. _Focus on your notes now, just ignore him. He's just trying to get under your skin._ She recited under her breath, her warm brown eyes scanning the ink on parchment, but her brain not comprehending any of it. Suddenly it seemed as if she had taken notes in a foreign language.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch what you said," came Draco's voice from behind her, still cool and quiet. It contrasted greatly with his usual obnoxious, arrogant tone, and Hermione mentally cursed for having reprimanded herself under her breath. Luckily the classroom door opened at that moment and a pack of Gryffindors filed into the room, chattering loudly. She was off the hook for the current moment and chose to ignore Draco's question, though some small, unfamiliar part of her was desperate to answer him.

Within a few minutes the classroom was full with the bustle of students and Hermione relaxed, sliding her books aside as Harry and Ron took their respective seats next to her.

"Blimey Hermione, what's put you in such a mood?" Harry muttered under his breath, giving her a concerned look. To her shock Hermione realized that her right hand was tightly clutching her wand, where it remained in wait by her hip, and her other hand was fiddling with the corners of her parchment so much that it had begun to crumple.

"I don't…it doesn't matter," she started, then abruptly cut herself off. "How about you just focus on the lesson and I'll worry about myself." She snapped, immediately regretting it. It wasn't like Harry had done anything wrong…she didn't know what had gotten into her. "Sorry Harry I didn't mean that." Hermione let out a large sigh. "Do you want me to look over you and Ron's homework before we turn it in?" She said in a kinder tone, and Harry's face immediately lit up. That's one of the things she would never understand about most boys, they rarely held grudges and never let conflict linger.

"Sure! Thanks 'Mione." Harry elbowed Ron hard in the side. "Hermione's gonna check our homework!" He whispered, sliding their combined stack of parchment towards her.

"You're the best, you know that?" Ron said with a broad smile as he handed her a few more stray pieces of parchment. As she reached over to take them, she could have sworn she saw Draco fuming in the row behind her. Writing it off as her overactive imagination, she faced the front again and quickly skimmed their papers.

"Ron, you could include a few more details about the _Banishing Charm_. Harry, for Dumbledore's sake _please_ don't forget to write your name on this." She slid back their work as they quickly scribbled down corrections to their mistakes. The sound of quills on parchment soothed her, and she pulled out her textbook to find what page they would be on this particular class to keep her mind free from distractions.

After a few more moments Professor Flitwick traipsed down the aisle, scooping up homework as he went. "Good afternoon, class!" he squeaked cheerfully as he clambered atop a precarious pile of books stacked on top of his table. "Our previous class I requested you all research and report back on the infamous _Banishing Charm_. I assume that everyone did as told and now we're ready to learn how to execute it. Correct?"

Hermione nodded enthusiastically, feeling her mood return to normal as her mind drifted further from the Slytherin boy behind her and instead recalling all the information packed into her brain with respect to this particular class.

"Let's start off simple. Who can tell me the purpose of the _Banishing Charm?"_ Hermione's hand instantaneously shot into the air, confident she knew the answer. Flitwick gestured in her general direction and she took a deep breath, prepared to launch into a lengthy explanation, when she heard that familiar voice behind her once again.

"The _Banishing Charm_ , Professor, is intended to send away whatever object the wizard or witch desires or has their wand pointed at. It is effective on both living things and inanimate objects." Draco said loudly for the whole class to hear, and Hermione once again felt that rage burning inside of her—he had stolen her answer! And still…that tiny, wild part of her again felt some sort of admiration for him. After all, she couldn't have said it any better herself and his vast knowledge impressed her.

"Excellent work, Draco. Ten points to Slytherin. And what charm does this counteract, anyone?" He once again looked out to the class, and Hermione was ready this time.

" _The Banishing Charm_ is the counter-charm to the _Summoning Charm_. If a wizard or witch summons an object it can easily be sent back away." She said confidently.

"Correct, Miss Granger. Ten points Gryffindor," he said kindly, "and since you two seem to understand the charm so well, why don't you both come up here and demonstrate how it works?" Flitwick gestured to Hermione and Draco, urging them to stand before his desk.

Hermione felt her cheeks grow pink and heard Ron snort with laughter. She had no choice but to go up and perform a spell alongside Draco, who was already making his way to the front of the class. She took a deep breath, pushed her chair back from her desk, and stood up with her trusty wand at her side.

 _ **A/N: Hello guys! I have not updated this story in so so long and I apologize for that, I completely lost both motivation and inspiration. However, I finally have an idea of where I want this to go so I present to you the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoy and please remember to favorite, follow, and comment!**_


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione lifted her chin high and strode to the front of the room, turning to face the class as she waited for instructions from Professor Flitwick, who had hurriedly dashed out of the room and muttered something about Snape. She refused to make eye contact with Draco—just inches away from her—but she could feel his unrelenting gaze on her. After an agonizing few moments of silence, Flitwick finally returned to the classroom with a peculiar goblet clutched in his hand.

It was crystal clear with a long, slender stem, though Hermione completely disregarded this and instead focused on the inky black liquid inside. Flecks of silver were scattered throughout the substance, giving it the appearance of an endless, expansive night sky. Hermione had a hunch of what it might be, but she waited for Professor Flitwick to confirm her suspicions.

"Can anyone tell me what this substance might be?" Flitwick asked the class hopefully. "You're technically not supposed to learn about it until 7th year with Professor Snape…" he paused as if he was unsure about completing his thought, "I think it's his way of including the _Dark Arts_ into his curriculum," he said in a lower tone.

"It's a memory altering substance," Draco spoke up suddenly; Hermione ignored the voice in her head urging her not to look up and instead met his stormy grey eyes—darker than usual. "I believe it works similar to the _Obliviate_ spell in that it can cause a witch or wizard to forget or misremember an event. It's formally known as the _Dimentare_ potion." As he talked Hermione noticed how captivating his voice was, especially when he was speaking in such an intellectual tone. And his lips and how they moved as he talked, and his hands gently gesturing what he was explaining. And especially that strange look in his eyes that she couldn't place…but it looked almost dangerous.

"That's right, Mr. Malfoy. Ten points to Slytherin!" Flitwick's chipper voice drew Hermione back to reality, and she tried her best to focus and cursed herself for not knowing the potion right away. In her defense, Dart Arts weren't her specialty. "Anyways, back to the original point of this lesson. Hermione, I would like for you to summon this from across the room, and Draco, you send it back.

"Yes Professor," she nodded to show her understanding and readied her wand as Flitwick scurried to the back of the classroom and set it down loudly on the table in front of Seamus Finnegan, who had been snoozing quietly. He shot up, his eyes wide with shock, and immediately grabbed his quill and pretended to be scribbling down notes. It was obvious this wasn't his first time napping in class.

Flitwick returned to stand between Draco and Hermione, gesturing that they should begin. "Take it away, Miss Granger."

She pointed her wand at the ominous potion, suddenly extremely aware of Draco watching her, and then recited the spell. "Accio Dimentare." The potion wooshed towards her and she reached out her hand to clutch the goblet tightly. To her dismay the liquid inside sloshed to and fro, and for the first time that day she noticed her hand was shaking.

"Now Mr. Malfoy, if you would do the honors." Flitwick announced, and the class along with Hermione expectantly turned their gaze to Draco. He turned to face Hermione, still holding the potion, but he didn't even look at it. He boldly locked eyes with her instead, and it felt like electricity crackled in the air between them.

"Depulso Dimentare."

The potion shot back to its original location, nearly hitting Seamus in the face (luckily he was awake this time) and wobbled to a standstill on the desk. Draco maintained eye contact, that look more intense than ever. Hermione felt her heart drop and finally gained the mental willpower to break eye contact, returning to her seat without waiting for instruction to.

"Excellent work both of you!" Flitwick cheered, and the class applauded out of obligation. Hermione managed a weak smile, but there now lingered a very unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. Draco seemed to be a little too familiar with this potion, and she didn't like the way he was looking at it or her one bit.

 _But you have to admit you liked him watching you…_ that little part of her piped up in her head. She chose to ignore it and instead tried her hardest to focus on the rest of the lesson. Finally, it came to an end and she rose from her seat, keeping her back to Draco and instead chatting with Harry and Ron.

"Are you two excited for Hogsmeade tomorrow?" she said cheerfully, gathering up her things. She shoved her books and quills into her bag and slung it over her shoulder, falling into line with her two best friends.

"I guess so, it'll just be the same as every other time though." Ron shrugged as he pulled a bruised apple form his bag. "This'll have to do," he took a large chomp from it.

"Want to grab lunch?" Harry asked them, and Ron let out a sigh of relief.

"I thought you'd never ask, mate!"

"I would join you, but I have advanced Ancient Runes homework I need to look over. I'll be in the library," She told them, and they didn't object. When they got to the main floor of the castle she continued up the stairs while they turned right, and she watched them disappear around the corner.

Hopefully it would be relatively empty in the library today so she could focus on her work and clear her head, maybe even get in some extra reading. She entered and to her delight there was a window seat open, which she immediately trotted over to. She tucked her knees under her and pulled out her notes, letting the sunlight from the window stream over her and warm her body. She allowed herself to close her eyes and bask in the warmth for a moment, and she was so immersed in the relaxation she didn't hear the footsteps approaching.

"Sleeping on the job, Granger?" A snide voice inquired, and her eyes snapped open. Of course Draco was standing right in front of her. Of course he would find a way to invade her one place of refuge.

"You know people come here to find peace and quiet, right? Or do you even know the meaning of that?" She fired back, her brown eyes blazing. Draco looked surprisingly taken a back—perhaps even a little hurt.

"Sorry, I'll just leave you to it then. I was just going to ask…" he started, then his eyes narrowed. "Never mind. See you around." Before Hermione could object he spun on his heel and strode out of the library, and Hermione was left feeling more confused than ever.

 **A/N: Here's another update for you guys! Also side note: the Dimentare potion is something made up, but Depulso is a real thing. Thank you guys sooo so much for reading and especially for those of you who commented! It absolutely makes my day.**


	6. Chapter 6

Following a night filled with just a few hours of sleep, Hermione woke the next day with her thoughts disorganized and scattered throughout her brain. She typically liked to keep memories and knowledge carefully filed away, easily accessible when she needed it, but today it felt as if great gusts of wind plagued her mind and snatched fleeting thoughts out of her grasp. Finally, she was able to cling to one tangible concept: today was Saturday and she would be able to spend the day with her friends in Hogsmeade. With a tiny smile, she slid out of bed and instinctively reached towards her nightstand for her wand—a ritual she performed each morning to ensure that it was still there.

She breathed a sigh of relief as her fingers slid around the sleek wood: at least something in her life was a constant. As she picked it up, however, she was startled as a shock of white fluttered to the floor at her feet. She hesitated, her heart pounding in her chest, and then crouched to see what it was. She examined the folded piece of paper, and with a deep breath Hermione unfurled it to see small, scrawling handwriting that read:

 _ **We never finished our conversation in the library. Hopefully you can find some spare time during the day in Hogsmeade to meet me in The Twisted Basilisk. –D**_

"D." Hermione whispered out loud to herself, glancing cautiously over her shoulder to make sure none of the other girls were awake yet. She was sure it wasn't _Dean Thomas_ who had given her this note…and she had most definitely not had any recent pressing conversations with Dumbledore. The only person she had spoken to in the library yesterday was Draco. But how had he gotten into her room in the first place? And was he finally going to ask whatever question she had rudely interrupted? And how the hell was she supposed to get into The Twisted Basilisk anyways? She had always glimpsed it from afar…a seedy looking bar that was strictly off limits to all Hogwarts students and any witches and wizards under 18 years old.

Her rational side begged her to feign illness so she could skip the whole ordeal, but that tiny sliver of her urged her to go and see what he wanted, _see him_ ,and it was ultimately this side that won. She began to wonder if she should stop considering it the "small part of her;" it had been winning an awful lot lately.

With a spring in her step, she dressed in her favorite casual clothes and hurried down the steps of the girls' dormitory just as the others were beginning to rise. She headed to the Great Hall, a secret smile playing on her lips as she helped herself to a cup of tea. Ron and Harry were there a few minutes later, taking their places on either side of her. While Harry ate his typical breakfast of eggs, sausage, and toast, Ron was unusually silent, staring wistfully at the empty place in front of him where a full plate would usually be.

"What's gotten into _you?"_ Hermione asked quizzically, and Ron's eyes lit up.

"Well, Fred and George told me that they would pay for whatever candy I can eat today in Hogsmeade, as long as it's enough to make me throw up!" He explained enthusiastically, and Harry chuckled from her right side.

"What an idiot." She muttered to herself, but her heart fluttered a bit. Now at least the boys would be distracted, making it easier for her to slip away and meet Draco.

"I'll meet up with you before we leave, alright?" She excused herself from the table and was heading back upstairs when she rounded a corner and ran almost directly into someone.

"I'm sorry I wasn't…oh. Hello, Draco," she said in a voice so timid she barely recognized it as her own.

"Never mind, I suppose you're still going to Hogsmeade today?" he asked her with a meaningful expression. It took her a moment to answer, as she was too busy watching as he folded his arms across his chest, noticing the sharp angles of his face, the way he tilted his chin down to make eye contact with her.

"I'll be there," she confirmed, trying to speak in the most confident tone she could manage.

"And you know how to get in, right?" His lean figure loomed over her and she did her best to stand up tall and straight without backing away.

"Of course." She said out loud. _Of course not._ She said in her head, but she wasn't going to let him know that.

"Good," he said, the words so quiet they curled out of his mouth like a wisp of smoke from a candle that had just been blown out. And just as quickly has he had come he was gone, leaving behind only a vague scent that Hermione recognized as cologne and something earthy.

A few hours later she was at the front of the line for Hogsmeade, Harry and Ron waiting patiently for her to get her name checked off on the list. Once she was waved along she flounced up to them, her heart now thundering like a freight train in her chest.

"Ready?" She asked them as the three set off through the snowy streets, Ron and Harry banking straight towards Honeydukes. "I'll meet you guys there in a bit! I've got some things to do first." She called after them, and the boys nodded but asked no questions. Ron was too starving and Harry too preoccupied to care much about her whereabouts, which for once she appreciated.

She turned down a side street, shoving her hands into the pockets of her dark grey coat. It was a bit of a walk to The Twisted Basilisk, but hopefully it would give her time to conjure up some way to get herself in unnoticed. If she had been given more of a warning she could have brewed some Polyjuice Potion like she did in her second year, ironically to talk to Draco as well. This time, though, she wanted him to know exactly who she was. There was no opportunity for disguise or secrets now, and this thought both terrified and excited her at the same time.

Lost in thought, she almost passed the dimly lit building and it wasn't until she was directly in front of it that her brain registered where her feet had subconsciously led her. She paced back and forth in front of the windows, cursing to herself into the air and watching as her breath formed into a white cloud and dispersed into the sky.

"Granger!" A voice called out suddenly, and she glanced up to see Draco's face poking out of a side doorway. She was grateful that she could blame the cold air on her rosy cheeks, because she felt them flame up when she saw him.

She shuffled through the snow over to him, cautiously approaching him in the way that a nervous dog does to an unfamiliar person calling out its name.

He held the door open wider for her, beckoning her to step over the threshold. As she crossed it she could practically feel all rational thoughts leaving her mind, and then she was inside.

 _ **A/N: Hey guys! Things are finally going to start picking up after this chapter, so keep reading! I really appreciate each and every one of you for reading and reviewing, it means so much to me. I love you guys a ton!**_


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione shivered as she sat down into the booth across from Draco, immediately noticing how the dim lighting caused a series of shadows to dance across his pale skin. She tried her best to steady her breathing, and she hoped that the rosiness in her cheeks had disappeared by now, but she couldn't help the fact that her heart was pounding violently in her chest.

"I didn't take you as a liar, Granger," Draco smirked, drumming his fingers on the dark wooden tabletop.

"A what? We've been here less than 5 minutes and I haven't said a word." She narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out what he was getting at.

"Oh _I know_ how to get into The Twisted Basilisk, Draco!" He mimicked in a sassy, girly voice that sounded nothing like hers. She could feel the corners of her mouth turning up against her will; she had never seen this playful side of Draco and she liked it.

"Well, I was going to find a way eventually," she shrugged, trying to act nonchalant about it. "I just had to find it in the first place." At that moment a figure approached their table, its chin just barely clearing the height of the raised booth. Hermione would have called it human but it only looked to be half that; its features looked more like a goblin.

"Anything to drink?" He croaked, his beady eyes narrowing when they landed on Hermione. Clearly Draco didn't seem phased by them, but Hermione was just now realizing what a risky and unfamiliar situation she was in.

"We'll have two Nightflowers, please." Draco said, sliding him a galleon. The creature gave him a cold laugh.

"Sorry pal, might want to wait a few more years and maybe grow a beard before you can have that."

Draco narrowed his eyes and slid a few more galleons across the table, and the thing hesitated for a moment before snatching them up and scurrying off.

"I can order for myself, you know," Hermione said irritably. "I don't even know what's in whatever the hell a Nightflower is."

"Trust me, you'll love it. Now anyways, aren't you curious to know why I asked you here?" He arched one eyebrow, and she was almost positive that he knew she couldn't fight her curiosity much longer.

"Fine." She said, dropping the issue of the drinks. "So why did you need to see me here so urgently?"

He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by two large frothing glasses being slammed down on the table in front of them. "Enjoy," the thing said, hobbling away.

Hermione eyed the drinks on the table in front of her, feeling equally cautious and fascinated. The top half was a translucent, sky blue liquid that progressively darker as it went down, turning midnight blue and then navy and then an inky black…and at the very bottom there were tiny little silver flecks in it. "Draco this looks like…"

"Don't you want to hear what I have to say?" He cut her off quickly.

"I do but I also want to know what this is made of," she was getting more agitated now, wondering why she was here and what she was doing and had gotten herself into. Her mind took off, trying to figure out how to remove herself and get back to safety. Her thoughts were interrupted by Draco.

"Hey. Hey it's okay, I just need you to trust me." He said in a calm, steady tone. She immediately felt her muscles relax and she looked up at his face. It no longer looked cold and hard like it had the past 5 years she had known him…his features had softened and genuine concern for her showed on his face. "It's gonna be okay. I know the drink looks like the Dimentare potion from earlier, I _know._ They're derived from the same plant but this has different properties, I promise." He spoke in such a reassuring tone she felt almost as though she had no choice but to trust and listen to him. After all, why would he be telling her this if he didn't want her to know the contents of the drink?

"Alright, I trust you." She said, and the second she spoke the words it felt like an invisible partition between them shattered, disappearing with all her inhibitions.

"Good," he smiled, lifting his glass to hers. With a shaky hand she raised hers as well, and they clinked together cheerfully. "Bottoms up," he tipped the contents down his throat and she followed suit, realizing that he wouldn't drink anything that would harm himself. It was a shocking taste at first, burning her mouth, but after a few seconds it developed into the sweetest taste she had ever experienced, leaving her feeling warm and relaxed inside.

"Not bad," she took another sip and Draco grinned at this. "Now can you finally tell me?"

"Yes, I can. First of all, I had to ask you so suddenly because I needed to speak to you alone and undisturbed. If people saw us talking they would obviously ask too many questions, especially Harry and Ron." Draco laughed a little at this, and Hermione felt herself grow a little defensive.

"So what they look out for me? It's not like you've treated us well." She countered, siding with her two best friends. Draco sighed heavily and took another sip of his drink.

"I know that Granger, but can you believe me when I say people change? In case you don't remember Harry and Ron weren't always the nicest to you either." Hermione realized he was right, there was a point in time where they had avoided spending time with her and teased her behind her back. And it was true Draco was being nicer than usual…

"Okay fine, well what did you need to tell me so urgently?"

"You're the smartest witch I know. You're the top of our class, one of the brightest students Hogwarts has had in years…" he paused, looking up from the table into her eyes. They were strikingly grey, and his entire demeanor was very fitting for the snowy winter scene that she could see in the window to the side of them. "I need your help." She realized now that his eyes were pleading; he looked almost scared.

"With what?" She took a larger gulp of her drink, now thoroughly enjoying the shock of the burn and the sweetness that soothed it.

"My family. My father specifically. Now that Voldemort's back, my father is even more roped into doing these horrible things and I'm supposed to go down the same path, and I just can't do that. I can't be who he wants me to be but if I don't it's going to be terrible and I don't know what to do and I need you to help me figure it out."

The words tumbled out of his mouth so rapidly Hermione could hardly keep up, but his face looked so earnest and fearful that she knew she needed to do something for him. She felt an immense care for this boy, who she had hated for so long, rising up inside of her. He finished the rest of his drink, as did she, and for a long time they just watched each other. She knew what a risky undertaking it would be; she had no clue where to even begin. Finally she dipped her head, indicating a nod.

"I'll help you."

 **A/N: Sorry this chapter took a little longer than the others! I really hope you guys enjoy it. Remember to comment and thank you guys so much for all the support!**


	8. Chapter 8

"You will?" Draco's eyes brightened a little as they widened in shock. "I really didn't think you'd say yes…" he looked suspicious and Hermione realized she had been a little eager to answer. Why was she suddenly making herself so readily available to him?

"Yes, but under some conditions." She tried to regain her composure, realizing that Draco was still unpredictable and just because he bought her a drink or two and played the pity card about his family didn't mean he was magically changed and their history together was erased. "We aren't going to interact in public, that would just raise too many questions and suspicions that I don't have time to deal with." Hermione picked up her drink and had a large gulp, feeling looser and more talkative.

"Of course, what else?" Draco asked her, taking a delicate sip himself. Feeling inspired, Hermione drank a bit more. "And slow down a little, alright? I want to make sure you're completely comfortable with all of this and it isn't just the drink talking." He chuckled, nudging her glass away from her a little bit.

The tingling she had been feeling throughout her body intensified, but she was positive it wasn't the alcohol this time. It was the concern in his face when he watched her, how he made it clear that he wasn't just manipulating and using her, and most of all the way his eyes crinkled and his open-mouthed smile when he had just laughed—it completely contrasted with his usual brooding smirk.

"Right, thanks." She thought for a moment before continuing on with her conditions. "And you can't put me in any situations that are going to be harmful to me." She said firmly, trying to prove to herself she still had discipline. Draco may be attractive, but that in no way meant she was going to put herself in harm's way for him. "And I don't want this interfering with my school work." She finished, nodding firmly.

"Those rules will all be respected, Granger. Don't worry." He settled back into the booth, finishing the last of his drink and glancing at the clock. "We have a little more time before we're due back. You want to go find Potter and Weasley?" He sneered a little as their names came out of his mouth, angering Hermione once again.

"I think I will, thank you very much." She picked up her glass and finished the rest of her drink, standing up and grabbing her coat. He followed suit, looking a bit worried.

"Are you going to be alright?" He grabbed her arm to steady her, though she felt entirely fine. His hand was icy cold, and it made her skin tingle, goosebumps raising on her forearms.

"I can manage, Draco. Thank you." She started off, looking back over her shoulder once to see if he was following. He was.

"I'm sure you can manage but as you saw coming in this isn't the best part of Hogsmeade…can I please walk you?" He asked, standing tall over her. She wanted to be able to say no, to tell him that she was going to be fine by herself and she didn't need a babysitter. But she also wanted him next to her, talking to her and guiding her and making sure she was safe. She felt like she spent so much of her time keeping Harry and Ron out of trouble and on track with their lives that just for once she wanted someone who thought to look out for her.

"Alright," she smiled shyly up at him, at first trying to hide it but then letting the smile grow. "But when we get closer we need to break apart. We already look so strange together," she laughed a little as they headed out the door and she saw their reflection in a dark store window.

"If by strange you mean good, then yes," he replied without missing a beat, leaning down a little to speak to her as they walked.

 _Did he really just say that?_ Hermione was shocked and trying to interpret the meaning of his words. Surely he was just joking.

"Piss off, Malfoy." She laughed, playing it safe. There was no way he had meant it in the way she first thought; they had been enemies for as long as she could remember and there was no changing that. She was just doing him a favor because…well…. she didn't exactly have a reason.

"Oh you might want to take that back," he glared at her, but she could see the twinkle in his eye and knew he was only pretending to be mad.

"I won't." She defied, marching on ahead of him and trying not to laugh.

"Suit yourself then," he stopped midstride, watching her. She turned and started shuffling slowly through the snow, hoping that he would run up and catch up with her. After a second when he didn't she stopped and turned, looking for him.

His face broke into his trademark smirk as he slowly approached her. "That's what I thought," he smugly said, and they continued their walk until the colors of the buildings crowding the sides of the streets seemed to grow more vibrant, and the noise level drastically increased. Hermione realized, ironically, that _this_ side of Hogsmeade was now the danger-zone, where any student or teacher could spot them together and begin to spread the news like wildfire.

"I guess this is where I leave you," he nodded and started heading into a sweets shop.

"Draco wait!" She hissed under her breath, and he turned back. "How will we stay in contact?" Hermione furrowed her brow in confusion. "How did you get that note into my room in the first place?"

Draco laughed sharply. "Blaise has a cat. Its name is Billius and he's very well-behaved. Anyways, it turns out charms don't work too well on animals and it can really go wherever it wants in the castle. Including the Gryffindor girl's dormitory." He winked at her, he actually _winked._ Hermione didn't know whether to laugh or feel embarrassed, so she did both: awkwardly chuckling as her cheeks flushed.

"Oh, right then. I'll see you around?" she said, turning to seek out Harry and Ron.

"See you," he disappeared into the crowd, and Hermione was left alone in the snowy streets, yet somehow she felt warmer than ever inside.

 _ **A/N: Thanks so much for all of your lovely reviews! You guys are seriously all sooo kind. This chapter is kind of a filler but things are starting to get pretty cute between the two so keep reading for more!**_


	9. Chapter 9

After ambling through the crowded streets of Hogsmeade for a moment, Hermione finally spotted Ron and Harry on a bench outside of Honeydukes. Ron was looking even paler than he already was, his face buried in his hands, while Harry was slapping him on the back reassuringly with a grin on his face. Harry looked up as Hermione reached them and his smile widened. "You missed it Hermione! Ron won his little bet. You should have seen his face when—" Harry was interrupted by a loud groan from Ron.

"Later," Hermione mouthed, and Harry nodded.

"Where were you anyhow? I thought you were coming back." Harry gave her a quizzical look, and even Ron looked up.

"Yeah seriously? Where was your rational self to talk me out of this," Ron chuckled feebly, and Hermione sat on the bench next to him.

"I was just out… getting a few things. Looking for some books." Hermione was a terrible liar, especially to her friends, and they both knew it too.

"Books eh? That's funny, because it seemed like all the Gryffindor fifth years were there watching me except for you and…" Ron paused for dramatic effect. "Seamus Finnegan." He smirked, confident that he knew Hermione's whereabouts.

"Finnegan huh? Never would have thought." Harry raised his eyebrows suggestively, but the pair of them looked so ridiculous Hermione had to laugh out loud.

" _Very_ good guess, but way off." She stood up from the bench, stretching out a hand to help up Ron. "Let's head back, the snow is coming down hard now." The three of them started making their way back to the castle, Hermione happily between her two best friends.

As they walked she couldn't help but scan the crowd for a certain tall, blond Slytherin, but to her disappointment he was nowhere to be found. After all, she was the one who had asked they weren't seen together in public.

"I'm going to grab a shower, see you two at dinner?" she asked as they reached the Gryffindor common room, where a fire was merrily crackling in the hearth.

"Of course. Up for a game of chess Ron?" The boys settled down into two overstuffed armchairs as Hermione trotted up the stairwell to her room. She peeled off her large winter coat—now damp from the snow—and carefully hung it up to dry. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she was removing her shoes when she noticed a folded piece of parchment on her pillow.

Her heart fluttered in her chest and her hand hovered over it, unsure if she wanted to read it yet or not. Finally, after a brief moment of deliberation between her impulsive and rational self, she snatched it up and smoothed it out in front of her.

 _Couldn't really wait to see you. Up for some midnight coffee and studying later tonight? See you in the kitchens if so._

 _D._

She reread it twice, the smile on her face growing each time her eyes scanned the words. Today felt entirely like a dream, and now it was going to continue later tonight. She had only ever snuck out at night with Harry and Ron, and even those times had been rare. This would be her first time doing it alone, and it would be quite the thrill to pull it off successfully. Stuffing the note under her mattress for safekeeping, she hurried off to get ready for dinner.

After dinner (sadly with no sign of Draco) and a few hours studying in the library until it closed at 11 (sadly still no sign of him,) Hermione had headed upstairs to lay in bed and wait. He had mentioned no specific time in the note, was it safe to assume he really meant midnight? And were they really going to _study_ or she show up looking like a fool if she brought her notes? She tossed and turned, checking her watch every few minutes. Time seemed to be passing even slower than it did in Ancient Runes, a class that was tedious even for Hermione. Finally, at 11:55 she couldn't wait any longer.

The sound of deep and heavy breathing filled the dormitory, and she figured it was safe to sleep out unnoticed. If anyone asked she could just say she was heading down to the fire to clear her head. She slipped on a pair of shoes and grabbed her wand, shuffling out of the room and down the stairs. There were a couple of third-years rowdily chatting in the common room, but otherwise it was empty. She kept her head high, hoping her seniority would keep them from questioning her, and hurried out of the room past the Fat Lady.

"You're up late, or should I say early!" The Fat Lady chuckled noisily at her own joke, and Hermione winced at the sound. Why was it that everything was so much louder at night or when you were doing something you weren't supposed to?

"I'll be back soon," Hermione promised, hurrying off down a dark corridor and praying that Filch was in a different part of the castle. She went down the flights of stairs, which were luckily unmoving at the moment, giving her a clear path down to the kitchen. She didn't dare use the light of her wand to see where she was going, instead using muscle memory as she navigated the dark passages.

She rounded a corner, nearly there, and picked up the pace as she saw the warm glow emitting from the kitchen doorway. And then he was there, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. He must have been waiting for her in the shadows, but she had been so nervous and focused on getting to the kitchen safely she hadn't noticed.

"You clearly don't get out much, I could hear you from a mile away." She couldn't see his face in the dark light but she could perfectly envision his smirk.

Hermione, not knowing how else to defend herself, fell back on her typical weapon of knowledge. "This castle isn't even a mile long, Draco," she sassed, and he laughed out loud at this.

"Oh relax Granger, I think the whole school knows that you know Hogwarts inside and out." He took a step closer towards her and she felt her back against the cold stone wall behind her. "But I bet you didn't know that if you're friendly to the house elves that work in the kitchen they'll make you some coffee or tea and chocolate chip cookies if you ask nicely." He stepped forward again so they were nearly touching, and Hermione had no witty or clever comeback to this. Once again her intellect seemed to disappear when she was in his presence, and instead she was acting on pure instinct.

"Now come on," he urged, and then he reached out and took her hand, leading her into the warm kitchen. She shoved back the part of her mind that was resisting his fingers interlocked with hers—sometimes it was better to not think.

 **A/N: I'm so excited things are finally picking up in this story and I can't wait to get the next few chapters out to you guys! Once again your reviews are always so appreciated and you guys are the best readers ever I love each and every one of you so much!**


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione stepped into the gentle glow of the kitchen, immediately greeted by the scent of cinnamon. The room was almost hazy, perhaps by some flour that had drifted astray in the air, and she saw a few house elves washing dishes or rolling out dough on a short table that was just their height.

"Nice, isn't it?" Draco smiled at her, releasing her hand from his. "Just tell them anything you fancy, and they'll be able to whip it up. Right Krodo?" He turned to one of the house elves who was carrying a tray of freshly baked cinnamon rolls—the source of the intoxicating scent—to a countertop to cool off.

"Yes sir. These will be cool in a few minutes if you'd like some!" The small elf chirped happily, which was a bit shocking to Hermione. She had always pictured Draco and his parents holed up at Malfoy Manor, with dozens of house elves such as Dobby that they treated with cruelty and bossed around. It was a pleasant surprise to see that he was so kind to them, or at least here he was. Perhaps much of her perceptions about Draco wasn't _really_ Draco, but instead the version he felt he had to be for his parents.

"Those look delicious, thank you!" Hermione replied to the one she assumed was Krodo.

"Anything to drink?" Draco turned back to her, smirking. "Some Nightflower, perhaps?" She broke into a grin at the mention of the drink they had shared together earlier.

"Just tea is fine, thank you very much." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Tea for the beautiful girl, coffee for me." Draco ordered one of the house elves, who hurried off to prepare the drinks. Hermione's cheeks inevitably turned red at the sound of his voice, especially considering what he just said. Her mind lingered on his words, trying to figure out if he was being polite or if he really meant what he had said.

"Now then, how about doing some research? I nipped these from the restricted section." He pulled out a stack of books and papers, setting them down on a table in front of them.

"Research for what?" She asked absentmindedly, racking her brain for what classes they shared and what he so desperately needed to study for.

"Remember our discussion? You agreed to help me with…" he trailed off.

" _Oh._ Oh of course Draco. Your family situation. Alright, let's see what we can do." She sat down next to him and opened one of the books, skimming through the table of contents to try to find something useful. He leaned in closer to read over her shoulder and suddenly she was very aware of his proximity to her. His chin was nearly resting on her shoulder, and his hand was just inches from hers on the table. Resisting the urge to turn and look back at him, she turned to page 394—a section about changing one's identity—when suddenly the elf Krodo scurried up and placed a tray with two mugs and a plateful of steaming hot cinnamon rolls before them.

"Enjoy," he said before scampering off into a separate room of the kitchen. Draco reached across her and grabbed a roll, his arm grazing against hers and giving her goosebumps.

"Try one, they're great!" He encouraged her, taking a large bite of his cinnamon roll. Hermione carefully selected one, waited a moment for it to cool, and then tried it. He was right, this was one of the most delicious things she had ever had in her life. It somehow tasted like home, though her parents never let her have sweets like this for breakfast.

"You're right, they're amazing," she smiled and took another bite, savoring the warmth and sweetness. She turned back to the book and tried to start reading again when a strand of her curly hair fell in front of her face, obstructing her view.

She reached up to tuck it back behind her ear, but another hand had gotten there first—Draco. She finally turned to look back at him as he gently smoothed her hair back away from her face, and suddenly he was all that she could see. Their faces were just inches apart now his grey eyes nearly silver in the dim kitchen lighting. Her head was spinning and she took quick, shallow breaths, her brain barely processing the scent of cinnamon in the air.

And then just like that he was leaning in, she closed her eyes, and suddenly all she could taste was cinnamon and home. The kiss was short and sweet, not lasting more than a few seconds, but even so she was hesitant to pull away and even more reluctant to open her eyes, afraid it might all have been a dream.

But when her eyelids fluttered open the hazy kitchen light was still there, the chatter of elves from the other room in the background, the taste of cinnamon and sweetness still in her mouth, and Draco with a gentle smile directly in front of her. This was all 100% real.

 _ **A/N:**_ _ **Hey guys I know I haven't updated in forever and I'm so sorry, but college started back up so I've been a lot more busy and I'm gonna be updating less now (maybe about once a week). Thank you all so much for sticking with this story though and I promise I'm not abandoning it! Remember to comment and share, thanks so much I love you guys.**_


	11. Chapter 11

"That was long overdue," Draco said quietly, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards to form a small smile. Hermione was rendered speechless for a moment, feeling as if she was in an entirely different universe. Up until this point in time she would have never pictured her and Draco sneaking out together, studying together, and especially not their lips meeting. She would have never pictured it feeling so right.

"Agreed," she mirrored his smile, her cheeks growing rosy as she looked down at her hands. Draco had stolen her first kiss, but she liked that. She wanted it to be him. His slender fingers reached out and held her hand delicately, his thumbs rubbing small patterns over the skin on the back of her hand.

A tingle ran down her spine and she directed her gaze away from their hands and back up at him. His stormy-colored eyes met her own brown ones and suddenly all thoughts disappeared from her mind—except the need to kiss him again. She took the initiative this time, leaning in and delicately planting her lips on his. She savored the taste of cinnamon and _him_ , sighing gently as he deepened the kiss.

Kissing him felt like she had finally found a missing piece of her heart that she didn't even realize had been missing; she felt whole and complete.

Finally they pulled away once again, both grinning uncontrollably like excitable children. Their fingers were still intertwined, their hands resting on Draco's knees.

"So anyways…" Hermione nodded down at the open books in front of them and they both laughed.

"You can't expect me to be able to focus after all that, Granger," he said with a chuckle, but turned back to the books regardless.

"Hey, you're the one who organized this study session," she retorted smugly, carefully turning the page of a book to go back for hunting for information.

"You really think that's the only reason I wanted to sneak out with you?" He glanced over his shoulder at her with a smirk, pulling out a piece of parchment to start taking notes.

"I hope you're not implying that you tricked me into being here, Draco, because I'm not that dumb." Hermione glared at him with an unwavering gaze.

His grin grew even wider. "Well you're here, aren't you?"

She made a show of rolling her eyes, but their banter secretly made her heart scream with desire and longing. Having no clever comeback, she chose to completely ignore his statement and instead point out an interesting piece of information she came across.

"Look here, it says that there's a potion that can alter someone's personality to make them more agreeable…" she pointed to a paragraph with one hand and picked up her quill with the other, ready to write down the page number in case it was useful.

"You think you can just get away with ignoring me that easily?" He said in a low voice in her ear, and the quill in Hermione's hand quivered slightly as she turned to face him.

"And what if I do?" She countered, trying her best to not look away from his intense stare.

"Well then I guess you need to be taught a lesson, Granger," he said off-handedly, shrugging. He was speaking in a serious tone, but she could still see the playful gleam in his eye, calming her nerves.

"I'd like to see you try!" She laughed out loud and turned her attention back to their work, further ignoring him.

And then she felt a hand on her shoulder, with a gentle but firm grip. "You asked for it," he shrugged nonchalantly and pulled her body closer to his abruptly, their faces just inches apart. Her intellect and rational side went out the window when she saw his face, his lips so close to hers. Was this supposed to teach her a lesson? If so it wasn't very effective, because she was getting exactly what she wanted.

Hermione closed her eyes and leaned in, ready for their lips to be interlocked again. And then…nothing. She opened her eyes in surprise to see Draco there, smirking at her.

"Aww, someone doesn't always get what they want," Draco bit his lip and Hermione felt her body tense up, now more desperate for him than ever. "Since you wanted to be taught a lesson so badly…" he reached up, cupping her face with his hand gently, and then trailed his fingers down the side of her face. Every nerve in her body felt like it was on fire now, he was leaving her craving his touch.

Draco abruptly stood up then, starting to collect his books.

"I think we've done enough work for tonight, Granger. Let me know if you do anymore research on your own!" He said cheerily, and her jaw nearly dropped open in shock. He knew exactly what strings to pull to drive her crazy, and a part of her loved it.

"But we—I…we barely did anything!" She sputtered, standing up along with him so hastily her chair nearly fell.

"Oh we did more than enough," he smiled devilishly. "But there's plenty more for next time, don't worry 'Mione." He finished packing up his things and slung his bag over his shoulder. She watched him in silence, trying and failing to come up with anything she could say to make him stay without looking desperate and needy.

"Fine, until next time." She huffed, but picked up the plate of leftover cinnamon rolls and handed it to him. "But you mind want to take these with you, I'm sure you'll be craving the taste of cinnamon and these might help." She was the one to smirk this time, and without waiting for his response she turned and headed out of the kitchen, creeping back up to her dormitory where she lied awake for the rest of the night thinking about how magical his touch was.

 _ **A/N: Hey guys here's another chapter for y'all! I know it's kind of really different from the rest of them lol and I really don't know how I feel about it, I was in a very mood when I wrote this chapter and I don't think I like it. But please let me know what you think of it and remember to like and comment! Thank you all so much for being patient and supportive I love you guys.**_


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